Winter Sports and Summer Holidays

Winter Sports and Summer holidays

Long before we left home for this short annual snow holiday to Switzerland, we had the holiday programme planned, including alternative substitute days if the weather did not cooperate. There are a number of things that we like to try fit into a ten day or so holiday dependent on things going to plan.

We are both Bobsleigh groupies and so we choose dates that allow us to see at least one of the World cup events; last year we saw two of the events, Igls and St Moritz that fitted neatly into our allotted space so were able to support the Great Britain Bobsleigh and Skeleton team. It is sadly for the GB team, very much a Cinderella sport and some of the team are self funded which is totally outrageous for a sport that has won Great Britain so many medals in the past, the women at the Skeleton have been wonderful, Shelly Rudman, Amy Williams, Lizzy Yarnold and fingers crossed for the new girls including Laura Deas.

We also love to see the Snow Polo where there is obviously no lack of funding since it seems to be very much a sport for rich folk. Maserati were playing well this year as were the Land of Fire team from Azerbaijan. There are some other high flying names at the top of the sport that we have seen in recent years.

  Below is Race director Ivar Jakobsen In Haugesund, Norway about to do the race briefing for Ironman 70.3 Haugesund.

I am also a huge fan of figure skating and because of my interest my saint of a husband has taken me to see a number of major Figure skating events live in the notable host cities of Paris and Nice and Stockholm. Usually for my favourite category the Man’s Free, though we have also been to watch the Pairs. This winter has been a major disappointment for me in that direction, since Eurosport seem to have dropped ice skating events from their programming in favour it seems to me for more coverage of SNOOKER!....Biathlon, is great spectator sport and is well shown on TV where my husband Steve and I love to watch it, though last January, we did go to Rupholding in Germany to watch our favourite stars in the flesh. Unfortunately I froze nearly to death and developed a chest infection from standing still in freezing conditions for so long, something I cannot risk repeating for the sake of my own multi discipline sport of triathlon. I gave up skiing some years ago to avoid more injuries that would, and indeed have prevented the progress of my winter training in the past. 

As to summer holidays, well….. You won’t find me sun bathing by a pool somewhere, or going clubbing all night in some sunny resort, all my swim suits were designed for swimming in. My husband/coach and I don’t take last holidays. Any journeys in summer will be to compete in great triathlon events in the UK, Europe or elsewhere in the world. 

My husband and I still compete in UK and International races even at our ripe old ages. Steve will be in age group 70-75 this coming season whilst I will be in the 80-85 age group for the second season. We train very hard to try to keep enjoying the sport for as long as we can. We swim four times, cycle three times and run three times every week, and have for years run and coached our own triathlon club.

Below are all the possible events that I have placed in my diary but so far I have not actually entered all of them. It is possible that I will do them all, maybe a couple as family relays, who knows.

The ones set in stone with entries already completed are these:

Swimathon

Ironman 51-50 Poreč, Croatia

Ironman70.3 Graz, Austria

Run 2 Music Brighton

Royal Windsor Triathlon

Pier2Pier swim IOW

Brighton and Hove Triathlon

  

Race programme 2020 Daphne Belt

March 1^st Frosty 750 mtr.swim/5km run

Local friendly event at Littlehampton Wave, our local pool swim and a promenade run.

March 27-28-29^th Swimathon Triple Challenge

5000 mtr. Pool swim three days running. (15,000)

April 26^th Bluebell run. 10km off road woodland run

May 10^th Poreč, Croatia Ironman

51-50 1500mtr sea swim- 40km bike-10

May 24^th Ironman Graz 70.3, Austria. (Half Ironman distance)

1800 lake swim- 90km bike- 21 km run

May 30^th Run-2-Music Sea front 10km running event in Brighton

June 14^th Royal Windsor Triathlon 1500-40-10

July 5^th Klagenfurt Ironman Austria

3800 lake swim-180km bike-marathon run

July 12^th National Aquathlon Championships, Worthing.

Sea swim/promenade run (current title holder in AG)

26^th July Dawn on the Downs 26th off road downland run

August 1^st Pier 2 Pier open water sea swim Isle of Wight

Sandown to Shanklin 1.8 miles

August 30^th Zell am Zee Ironman 70.3 (distance as Graz race)

September 6^th  Koper, Slovenia Ironman 70.3 (dist as Graz race)

September 13^th Brighton and Hove Triathlon 1500mtr sea swim/ 40km bike/10km run

This is a qualifier for 2021 World Championships in Bermuda

B

April 26^th Bluebell run. 10km off road woodland run

May 10^th Poreč, Croatia Ironman

51-50 1500mtr sea swim- 40km bike-10

May 24^th Ironman Graz 70.3, Austria. (Half Ironman distance)

1800 lake swim- 90km bike- 21 km run

May 30^th Run-2-Music Sea front 10km running event in Brighton

June 14^th Royal Windsor Triathlon 1500-40-10

July 5^th Klagenfurt Ironman Austria

3800 lake swim-180km bike-marathon run

July 12^th National Aquathlon Championships, Worthing.

Sea swim/promenade run (current title holder in AG)

26^th July Dawn on the Downs 26th off road downland run

August 1^st Pier 2 Pier open water sea swim Isle of Wight

Sandown to Shanklin 1.8 miles

August 30^th Zell am Zee Ironman 70.3 (distance as Graz race)

September 6^th  Koper, Slovenia Ironman 70.3 (dist as Graz race)

September 13^th Brighton and Hove Triathlon 1500mtr sea swim/ 40km bike/10km run

This is a qualifier for 2021 World Championships in Bermuda

Snow Polo, St. Moritz.

Snow Polo, St. Moritz.

Most of my holidays are when I go to compete in my beloved sport of triathlon somewhere, as I did at the beginning of September 2019 in Lausanne, where I was so happy to win my age group, considering that my new age group was 80-84.

I have, in this important part of my life had some amazing sport holidays. I have competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii three times in my thirty year career as a triathlete. Sado Island, Japan comes very high on the list of most memorable and enjoyable as does, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, San Diego, Miami, Lake Placid and Perth, Australia.

So it is not so surprising that I like to watch other sports too. The only holiday that my husband/coach Steve and I take that has nothing whatsoever to do with triathlon, is a winter holiday where the main aim is to watch other sports. Yesterday we spent much of the day walking around the frozen Lake in St Moritz watching Snow Polo played at top level by the very best in the world.

The venue is just mind boggling, since the lake is transformed into the most remarkable ice village-playground for the very rich, but open to all who like ourselves love the sheer beauty or the most agile horses and the masterful skill of the riders. You can pay a fortune to watch from the grandstand or drink Champagne in sumptuous luxury sitting in cushioned chairs beneath ice sculptures. Or simply wander around the arena and see the battle for victory from other angles. For myself, I prefer the far side where the sun is on my back and not in my eyes yet falls like a floodlight glare on the horses and riders.

We watched a semi final and the final in the weekend contest that we had looked forward to since we began to plan out umpteenth holiday in this sprauncy resort. St Moritz is full of expensive hotels and every designer outlet known to the rich and famous, consequently there is the addition of the fashion show as an added amusement.  

The Sea, the Gull and the Eye

The Sea, the Gull and the Eye

1.

I had my fingers crossed for a fine day

That the TV lady had promised with a smile

In the wettest summer since God only can say

I set off in the sea to swim for a while

Miraculously brightness popped out of the gloom

Right after a thunderstorm that spread boom and doom

The sea was at more calm at last, not as cold as of late

The sun came out and the sea fret rolled back  

Blustery winds and rain the shore will attack

But now and again nature’s force will abate

2.

I got into a nice rhythm fairly quickly then

And settled in for a longer than usual swim

The morning looked a little more settled when

On a less dreary day though waves I’d skim

At the best of times, I cannot swim in a straight line

A glance at the shore to see that I am fine

The wind was more or less directly from the west

This causing a fair rise in height to the swell

In a lumpy, slappy sea, my small body gently rose and fell

I settled into my solo swim, being alone is always a test

3.

The swirling strength of sea water is hypnotic

And leaves sheer pleasure in the mystery of moving

The Sussex Coast beach is less than exotic

But a closeness to home and safety are soothing

Swimming over the submerged end of the sea defence

Barnacled monster beneath me gives momentary offence

Gazers try to see imagined images float across the sky

A patch of blue sky opened just to my left, over the sea.

Dolphins clouds swimming across the sky or seem to be

No science lesson needed to explain the why

4.

This was just the reverse; a clean blue space in solid cloud

There was a distinct, crisp, almond shaped eye up where

 In the centre was a tiny white fluffy puff clear and proud

Forming perfectly placed the iris of the eye in the sky up there

 I reasoned that the central fluffy cloud has to be higher

Was it drifting along a more elevated plain I silently inquire

I am not averse to a bit of spirituality or a spot of spookiness

Smiling at the thought of an angel up there watching out for me

Breaks my concentration on the job in hand, I took the time to see

Mind wandering free where it would, miracle, or my own kookiness

5.

Lifted up to the top of the wave as if I was a scrap of seaweed

The slap of the big waves and the odd feeling of being dropped

Water hitting the side of my face with surprising speed

That powerless feeling of being washed around and stopped

Sand laden waters turned a startling bright golden shade

Seagulls’ flying over the disturbance my swimming has made

The eye in the sky still watches my progress from far above

Within the rhythm of my stroke it becomes a fascination

I notice I am off course from my intended destination

Heading out to sea, would guide me back on course to show his love

6. 

In the overcast sky there the slightest glint of sunshine

I would stick my head down, trying to swim a firmer stroke

Then looking up to site and each time straighten up in line

Concentration breaks away from reverie now I have woke

I still found myself heading off diagonally toward France

Straighten up again, keep in line to shore and not to chance

That is not that easy for me since I breathe to the left

Though on my course I am swimming to the west

Most of the gull’s peel of which I feel is for best

The last one, staying, watches them fly away as if bereft

7.

The last gull stayed with me, hovering on the headwind now

Slightly above and behind, where I was below his slow flight

Maybe it was hoping that would disturb marine life somehow

Provide him with dinner, so reason to keep me in sight

Close overhead, quite low, maybe there curious as to what

I was doing there, bobbing around in the water such a lot

With every exit my hand made so often from a wave

The gull would dip close in case there was a fish

I was sure now he thought I would provide a supper dish

A gentle tap on my fingers, him getting more than brave

8.

Ploughing doggedly on, trying to think about my stroke

Nice and steady, stretch out, make my catch, pull it back

Push a handful of water away beneath each wave that broke

The feeling that I am very small in this strange attack

The sky eye watches all the action with silent interest

My thoughts are that it’s all far too weird to digest

 I’m not usually afraid whilst swim training in the sea

The feeling of the power of the water strong yet soft

But add the interaction between gull and the eye aloft

In the great, swirling, heaving mass the sea must be

9.

I am roughly on a course beyond the breakwater bound

And by that fact in a normally safe close to shore zone

I have always thought of myself as unsinkably sound,

A buoyant piece of work, try to keep my muscles honed

I set back into getting this long hard swim done

And nibble away at the distance until I have almost won

I was closing on the first groyne along the promenade

And could just make out the next one in the line

Now navigation easier for a time and all will be fine

Kept an eye on the eye, as it focused on me, a fine charade

10.

My seagull partner still in touch with the fingers on each hand

We had constant eye contact every bit of the way

I could have stopped at any time and swum in to the land

Then my swimming mate would surely go away

But I pushed on and admit I wanted this swim put to bed

If I had had the power then his feathers I would shred!

Getting there slowly and hadn’t suffered any twinge or ache

No fatigue but tingling with the cold I supposed

The eye in the cloud looked weary and slowly closed

For the next long swim; I’ll go to a nice clear calm lake!

11.

When I swam as far as the half dozen breakwaters reach

Where the tow was even stronger, and I placidly took my pace

The tide was on the turn and I swam in toward the beach

The seagull turned casually away not giving one last chase 

I passed the last of the jolly coloured beach hut row

Plodding along to the bitter end my arms were all aglow

 My man had raised a big red towel for me to aim

Some of my friends were waiting there for me

To climb the pebble beach edge stones to see

Wrapped in a towel, watching the sea’s heaving game

12.

Same view there as always nothing now out of place

Just one more training session completed

Looks like rain or maybe a thunderstorm to face

I’ve been in much worse water when I have competed

It had been interesting if a little bit alarming

A heavenly, eye and a sea bird less than charming

 With the rain clouds ahead it seemed strange

Almost complete cover of heavy rain cloud

Then a crack of thunder ear burstingly loud

All eyes turned away, now gone out of range

………written in September 2008

Daphne Janet Bathseba Belt

Supporters or Stalkers

 

Friends, Followers, Facebook Supporters or Stalkers

On the TV news today, there was a piece that said that 50% more women are the victims of stalkers than men.

I told my husband that when I was a teenager, a friend of mine was stalked for months, the man did it quite openly but did none the less follow her everywhere with no attempt to speak to her. I had a long term follower for a good six months with the difference that whenever I was alone he did approach and talk to me. He had given up his job and moved in with his grandmother to be closer to where I lived. So I think it may be more common that people think.

My husband turned to me and said, “Well that does at least place you in the smaller group doesn’t it”. He said laughing! “What are you talking about”? I asked.

“Well, he started, “What about Ramin,” he said, “How many times have you dragged me along to see him”.

I went into a long explanation that there is an ocean of difference between Stalking somebody and being a ‘Follower’ of a musical theatre singer. We are talking about my favourite singer here, Ramin Karimloo, he has been the star in Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Anastasia, Chess, The Secret Garden etc. etc. The answer to his question is that I have been to see him in Musicals showing on the West End and also to a handful on his concert tours shows. Of course I have all his albums. I have tickets for The Secret Garden at the London Palladium this spring.

To further clarify, Steve has not been Dragged along either, he has been more than happy to go, although he does not applaud when he sings country songs, and that is pretty silly because Steve has loads of country albums, Trace Atkins, Johnny Cash etc. Yet Ramin must only sing musical numbers for Steve it seems, when he applauds noisily. Steve loves musicals as much as I do.

After we have been to see and hear Ramin and his Broadgrass Band concert, Steve has asked me if I wanted to go to the stage door and I never have, but when I was a teenager I did collect autographs. My friend Joyce and I would cycle to Brighton on our bikes, if there was a singing star we liked appearing at the Hippodrome there.

I do ‘Follow’ Ramin, on Instagram, along with the world’s greatest tenor, opera singer Jonas Kaufmann, and Hugh Jackman who has been in Oklahoma and the movie version of Les Mis.  I also follow a load of cycling stars and triathletes, swimmers, track and field athletes. Then there are Ballet Dancers galore, photographers of whom my daughter is one is checked on daily. Loads of biathletes and figure skaters and everybody I know in the triathlon world and the list would not be complete if I missed out the entire British Bobsleigh and Skeleton team, who I check out all the time during the winter months on Instagram and Facebook.

 

There is a vast difference between having favourite movie stars, athletes and singers, and the sick worrying few who are indeed Stalkers, who can be so menacing that they often completely ruin the life of the person they relentlessly follow. Don’t expect any change. I don’t gamble I don’t go to bars and pubs I don’t stay out all night. Some might say boring. I am pretty harmless really, nobody is locked in my bike shed.

 This is Steve by the way with Shelly Rudman.... looking very pleased at this meeting with a hero.

In the TV discussion that we listened to, they spoke of the story about estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, who disappeared on a working day, in broad daylight. She was 25 years old and has never been found. She had an appointment with a man simply noted as Mr Kipper who she had gone alone to meet at a house. The man suspected of her abduction and murder, John Cannon, was on day release from Wormwood Scrubs Prison the day she disappeared. His nickname in prison was it seems, Kipper!

Best laid plans

 ITU World standard distance triathlon Championships in Edmonton, Canada 2014 Bike racking.

The best laid plans..............

Yesterday looked like a busy schedule just from a glance at my diary. The same appointment notes were made on the calendar in the kitchen and in my phone. What could go wrong?

Starting with just an hour on the turbo trainer because it was set to be a busy day, but training is my first priority with another sports year crammed with exciting events both at home in the South England and in Europe later in the year. Dates are being bandied about as far ahead as October.  So because there was only time for an hour, Steve my husband/coach selected a short hill climbing session from the pile of sets we have on DVD’s in our little box room. We don’t start turbo training until 8am for the sake of our close neighbours, fair’s fair. When we had finished the set we were both drenched in sweat and so a quick bath was next in the order of things. It was all a bit of a rush to get ready for my next date that was with my dentist for a check up, although I knew it would lead to another visit because I had a broken tooth. 

Steve took me to the dentist because he had to go to the office of our insurance company. He dropped me off at the door before going on only fifty meters away to sort out my car insurance. I had arrived on time but had a bit had a wait, 40 minutes in fact, that I spent usefully trying to start learning the next poem for the ‘By Heart’ challenge at the next meeting of our poetry group called Scribblers.

Once in for my check up the dentist did all the usual torture and said that I would have to come back for him to work on the broken tooth. Bad news. I must have it crowned he said, no question. I told him then and there, that I could not have that done until after the triathlon season. The even worse news was that it would cost £260.00! He said that if I insisted on waiting until October that he would have to do a temporary filling for the jagged edged tooth and that would cost £60 odd. And would then be removed for the crowning!

 In Kona at the Ironman World Championships with John Lunt very well known master race director. 

The day was not going too well. Our next move was home again, for an hour of office work; invoices, emails, phone calls. Then we had to drive to Chichester to do some household shopping and I had a shipping order of things that I needed. That turned out to be a good deal. Boots card holders who are over 60 get some amazingly good deals with their points system and with the Senior Day Event on, a collection of vouchers that came through the post I ended up with a third off my goods, all things I buy there regularly plus a free Boots brand gift that is quite expensive on the counter of my choice. Plus points for the things I had bought. It was such a good deal that it didn’t make sense from their point of view, but you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth do you.

Photo here is with Ian Douglas Sweet who made a TV film featuring my Kona story, He called it Hawaii 5-5.

My next appointment was at St Richards Hospital, at the Maxillo Facial Unit. Let this be a warning to my younger friends in the sport of Triathlon and in particular long distance events. I have regular check ups for my face because of sun damage. I had beautiful skin when I took up the sport and now it is showing the result of spending all day long in the sun in many of my most important events. I have frequently started a race at 7 am and not crossed the finish line until getting on for midnight. My face has paid the price for this indulgence. I have had to have a number of nasty little things freeze burned off, and also one small surgery.
Use the sun block! I know it’s hard, because you are sweating whilst you are biking and running but you might have to pay the price later for neglect.

Arriving at the reception desk for an appointment that I had waited ELEVEN weeks for, for a bi-opsy on more suspect places on my face, suggested by the consultant on the last appointment back in October, after waiting for that appointment since summer after visiting my GP. The young lady told me that I was a day late for the appointment. I did say that was not so, because I had written the date down in my diary as soon as the letter came giving my the appointment. Anyway I was turned away. They said it was my fault, I said that was not possible. Stalemate. No point in getting angry, mistakes happen to us all. Steve had taken the day off work to come with me because he didn’t want me driving the 12 miles home after a procedure. Two wasted days than, and possibly another three months for the next time slot!

My husband, is an absolute Saint as I often remark, I actually do call him Saint Stephen quite often. His answer to the ignore the way the day was going was to turn it into an outing.  It was getting on for 4 pm and he thought that to make it seem like a better day we would go and have something to eat in the town and then go to our favourite art house cinema and catch a movie. He chose Carluccio’s that is very close to the New Park Cinema. We had plenty of time to relax and cool down there and enjoy the rest of the day.

Our seats in the cinema were a little close to the screen because the place was almost full the seats are so comfortable that it doesn’t matter.  The new version of Little Women was marvellous and I see Oscar’s circling for the most amazing cast. Saoirse Ronan was simply astonishing as Jo, Emma Watson as Meg and James Norton who was recently on TV as Stephen Ward was John. Timothée Chalamet was a delightful’ Laurie. He played the young Henry V in the movie The King in 2019, what an amazing young actor he is. Steve had taken me to the cinema just as a consolation prize and he actually did not fancy the film at all, but when the lights came on he raised both thumbs and said that it was a full 10 and that he had loved it.

I had loved the original 1949 film that I had been taken to by my mother when I was ten or eleven years old. It was a blockbuster then, full of big stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, June Allyson, Maureen O’Hara and Peter Lawford. I was ever a movie fan.

As we got up to leave he asked me what it was like sitting next to somebody just like me?? The man next to me had fidgeted all through the film. He had taken his coat off, put it back on, then taken it off again. He had got up from his seat and gone out of the cinema in the middle of the film and of course disturbed us all when he came back in again and started eating and drinking.

We were home by 9 pm greeted by our cat Birdie, who said we were very late for his dinner and made a lot of noise complaining about the neglect.